8 February 2009
Scarborough Faire is fast advancing – in fact only 7 weeks remain before opening day. Marita Beth & I met with the captain and several fellow crew members of the Blazing Sun to discuss strategies & actuals for the necessary “clean up day” and a potential build-out of the backroom of the East Wind Games shop. Sadly, but not surprisingly, cost will probably delay the backroom build-out for at least another year. But, in the meantime, we had great burgers, great company and fun while coming to that unhappy conclusion.

Several days back, I had an idea that I am putting into place with this photo. I decided that at 8:05 pm every day (or as soon thereafter as possible), I would take a self-portrait of myself wherever and/or whatever I was doing. This will do two things. It will catalogue my life every day and it will ensure that I have a photo every day. I’ve been taking these 8:05 photos for several days, but this is the first time where I actually need to use it as my photo of the day because I took no others. So, I present the first in a series, 0805 Selfie.

I originally chose 10:31 am (my birthday is 31 October) as my photo time, but my wife rightly pointed out that that would likely get boring quickly as nearly every day at 10:31 I am sitting at my desk in my grey cell on the 4th floor of my corporate headquarters. She suggested perhaps 04:18 pm (her birthday is 18 April) or 08:05pm (our anniversary is 5 August) instead. 04:18 pm finds me still at the office; however, 08:05 pm hopefully will not. The only negative I see is that 08:05 pm is actually 20:05, but I can get over that – it’s a small thing.
That’s Captain Curtis the Red of the Blazing Sun behind me surrounded by his children’s decorations.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 9 February 2009)

Listening to:
She’s Strange by Cameo
from She’s Strange

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

7 February 2009
Back on 30 October 2008 I wrote about Steven’s Point Brewery Orange Cream soda. Allyson read that post and decided to share with me her favourite Orange Cream soda from a rival Wisconsin Brewer, Sprecher. I’m not sure if Allyson has had Steven’s Point Brewery Point Premium Orange Cream Soda or not, but I can certainly understand why she would urge me to try the Sprecher version. The two are very similar in mouth-feel, nose & taste, but I think the delightful linger from the Sprecher Orange Dream just edges out the Point Premium – barely.

Thanks, Allyson!
Cheers.

Listening to:
Prime Mover by Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction
from Dark Side Of The 80s

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

6 February 2009
No Frills Grill is one of those places where I can always go and get decent food, good beer and see friendly faces. It’s one of those places where "everybody knows [my] name." It’s one of those places where the people who work there, I actually call friend. This is one of those friends, Matt. He’s been at NFG for several years now and, like in the photograph, almost always sports a smile. He’s a hyper-kinetic, always working, wants to make sure the customers are happy, soul. He’s one I’d hire to work in any bar I owned/managed.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 9 February 2009)

Listening to:
Are You the One by Scorpions
from Pure Instinct

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

5 February 2009
One of our cabinet doors in the kitchen has peeled away from the cabinet. That’s a danger. So, we headed to the hardware store to obtain a nut & bolt pair with which to repair the door. We found what we believe will work, these are not that.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 9 February 2009)

Listening to:
(I Know) I’m Losing You by the Temptations
from British Top 30 – 1967

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

4 February 2009
More tegestology goodness.

Apparently there’s a new (like we need another one) energy drink on the market called Mad-Croc. They released a series of beer mats to not only kick off the advertising blitz, but to show how easy it is to mix energy drinks with damn near any bit of alcohol you can conceive. Not my bag, but I liked the mats.

It’s painfully obvious in this photo that I need to set up the second light, and I absolute need to set my exposure bias on the positive rather than negative side until I do set up that second light. Blah.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 9 February 2009)

Listening to:
Something Blue by Siouxsie & the Banshees
from Down Side Up

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 8.6 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

3 February 2009
A number of years ago I went to Portland, OR on business. We concluded business relatively early so Terrill & I walked the Nob Hill area of Portland seeking – and finding – good beer and good food. One place we went was the Laurelwood Brew Pub where I, being the tegestologist that I am, absconded with a couple of beer mats. One is at home in my collection, the other is in use at the office.

I don’t recall the beer all that well as I didn’t make notes & it was several years ago, but I think I enjoyed it. Certainly it didn’t leave a negative enough impression that I swore it off. So, given the opportunity, I’ll try it again – and make notes this time.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 5 February 2009)

Listening to:
Never Say Never by Styx
from Cornerstone

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

2 February 2009
The humdrum joy of a Corporate World Monday. Hooray.

The only good thing about the day was the football match at the end wherein I played well and even managed to get on the scoresheet – rare in these modern times.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 5 February 2009)

Listening to:
Party Time by Grave .45
A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box (Disc 3)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

4 February 2009

My friends all know I have a serious shoe habit.  And anybody who’s been to our house knows about the dragons, the books, the hats, the Mickey stuff and the wall art.  And of course, there’s the fabric.

But, also among my tendencies for overindulgence is the love of office supplies.  Paper and writing utensils in particular.  (I used to think it was weird—hush, you!—but I’ve discovered this is not an unusual fetish!  It’s actually very common . . . at least among my friends!)  And, my favourite . . . Sharpies. 

I have been a lover of Sharpies since the eighties, when there were only four colours:  black, red, green and blue.  Then, suddenly one day there was purple!  And orange and yellow!  It was wonderful and very liberating.  And, I must not have been alone in feeling that way, because over the last two decades, the Sharpie folks* have gifted us with a veritable rainbow of colours from which to choose our own personal flavour of Sharpie fun.  Thirty-nine colours, to be exact.  And ten styles—with various sizes and shapes of writing nibs.  This photo is of the container of Sharpies that lives on my desk.  It does not include the ones in the drawer, or in my scrapbooking bags, or in my computer bag, or in the kitchen, or in the workshop, or in the trailer, or in the car, or clipped to my purse. (Don’t you just love those cute little mini-Sharpies?!)

*A quick bit of easy research shows that “the Sharpie folks” are actually the “Sanford Brands” folks.  And Sanford brands include such well-known and beloved office/household staples, as PaperMate, Rolodex, Parker, Expo, and Liquid Paper, just to name a few.  And one step further in this little corporate flowchart shows that Sanford Brands is actually a sister brand to another favourite of mine that I’ve blogged about before:  Rubbermaid.

Ahhhh . . . the joys of happy consumerism.

~MB

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

3 February 2009

This is the time of year when my days are spent mostly in the workshop, and my world revolves around my sewing. As I tried to make sense of my cluttered workspace, I thought about photographing it, and decided I was really too embarrassed by the mess to want to share it. So, I looked up. Above the chaos of my worktable, is a relatively organized collection of trims I have hanging overhead. It’s sort of pretty, and very functional.

And, it’s the only photo of the day.

~MB

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »

2 February 2009
Groundhog Day

I hear Punxatawnie Phil saw his shadow—six more weeks of winter. I hope that means we’ll actually get another cold snap.

About the photo: doesn’t she look indignant? Like I shouldn’t want to sit in my own chair. I wasn’t out of the chair for thirty seconds . . .

Monday . . . even when you don’t belong to the ratrace of corporate America, there’s a certain sluggish surrealism about Mondays.

I had lunch with my Kelly today . . . she’s soon to leave town on business for a few days and I wanted to get some quality time in with her before she left. And, in an ongoing effort to move more, I left my car parked at the Boston Market and walked to the bank. Woo hoo! It felt good, too!

I got the four boxes of Pendragon stuff on its way to Arizona, and was back home before Kyle got home from work. I guess it was a decent start to the week.

~MB

Share on Twitter

Leave a Comment »